Colorado Rockies Calendar

Event

Date

Place

Time

Team

The Season is Over--The Rockies are Champs!

Let the coach know when you have scheduling conflicts that will cause you to miss practices or games as much in advance as possible. This will be most important during the season when we may be able to call players up from the majors if we know in advance that players are going to miss a game. Thanks.

Since I don't have access to my personal email from work, please phone in last minute changes.

Final Standings

Team

Wins

Loses

PCT

Pirates

9

4

.692

Indians

9

5

.643

Angels

9

4

.643

Rockies

8

6

.571

Rangers

6

7

.462

Yankees

6

8

.429

A's

5

9

.367

Cubs

3

11

.214

Colorado Rockies Game Recaps

Day

Date

Field

Time

Opponent

Outcome

Saturday

June 5

Byron I

completed

Pirates*

Won 8-2. Great pitching and catching, good fielding, heads up baserunning, everyone made contact. A good start. Highlights included a clutch single by Sam, six solid innings behind the plate by Matt. Great pitching by Robin (7 strikeouts, no hits) and Michael. Good fielding all the way around.

Saturday

June 12

Byron I

Rained Out

Rangers

Rained out. Rescheduled for July 11

Sunday

June 13

Mercer I

completed

Athletics*

Lost 10-4. A tough second inning in which the A's scored six runs toppled the Rockies. Highlights included a great running catch in RF by Gabe off the bat of an A's slugger, a hard single by Ebo, a fine play at short by Michael and solid relief work by Robin. On the downside, two baserunning errors took the Rockies out of big innings, and the failure of the infield to get the ball back into the pitcher after getting the relay throw gave the A's extra bases and prolonged their rally. Other than the second inning, the Rockies played the A's even. No excuses, but we could have remained in the game with some heads up play.

Saturday

June 19

Mercer I

completed

Yankees*

Lost 12-2. With Sam, Noah, Gabe, Ebo and Connor all unavailable, the outlook was not good. But the Rockies took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 3rd before imploding. Talonzo Reid, a new roster addition, blasted a long double and stole several bases in his debut with the Rockies. Stephen Brakey had the first RBI. Michael Mitro came on in relief in the third and closed the door on the Yankees. Major league call-up Ian Vitkus did a fine job in right and behind the plate. Aaron Robbins and Robin Steiner made nice catches in the outfield and John Molnar played some heads up ball. Nick Wright made contact each time up. The Rockies look forward to the return of Ebo, Sam and Gabe for Monday's game.

Monday

June 21

Mercer I

completed

Indians*

Lost 14-4. The Rockies took another pounding, this time from the Indians, but Sam Keane returned from vacation and pitched 2 excellent innings in relief. Talonzo Reid had another big day with the bat and on the bases. But the best play of all was made by diminutive Gabe Weinstein while making his first appearance behind the plate this season. With Jackson Merriman (a player at least twice Gabe's size) on third, a shot was hit to an infielder who threw to first. Jackson took off for the plate full throttle. With the batter out at first, first baseman Aaron Robbins made a perfect throw to the plate. But Jackson's picture-perfect slide threw Gabe high into the air. Miraculously he hung onto the ball for an inning ending double play that thrilled the fans. Even the Indians congratulated Gabe on the fine play just as the Rockies' fans showed appreciation for the great slide by Jackson. It was Senior League baseball at its finest.

Saturday

June 26

Byron I

completed

Cubs

Won 6-4. Sam Keane pitched 4 solid innings in relief to get the win, striking out 11 including 4 in one inning. Ebo Ayewoh had a big rbi single and was intentionally walked. Fine plays by John Molnar in left and Robin Steiner at short robbed the Indians of potential hits. Newest player Kerry Howard reached base three times. Nick Wright pounded a double to left center. Gabe Weinstein went all the way behind the plate. Major league call-up Ian Vitkus provided solid play in right and was ready to provide support behind the plate since both primary catchers were unavailable.

Sunday

June 27

Mercer I

completed

Angels

Lost 17-5. Aaron Robbins set the Angels down 1-2-3 in the first, but a brutal second inning negated some good baserunning by Kerry Howard and Sam Keane, some fine catching by major league call up Ian Vitkus, and 3 innings of stellar relief pitching by Gabe Weinstein.

Monday

June 28

Mercer II

5:50 pm for a 6:20 p.m. game

Angels*

Rained Out. Rescheduled to July 20.

Wednesday

July 7

Mercer II

completed

Yankees

Lost 8-3. A rain delayed game that could just as easily have been a Rockies victory. The Yankees picked runners off 2nd and 3rd, once with the bases loaded, and threw another runner out at home by 10 feet as the Rockies ran themselves out of the game and wasted some decent pitching by Sam Keane and Robin Steiner.

Saturday

July 10

Mercer I

completed

Athletics

Won 6-5. Strong pitching by Sam Keane and Mike Mitro helped the Rockies pull ahead of the A's in the standings.

Sunday

July 11

Mercer I

completed

Rangers

Won 7-4. Robin Steiner and Talonzo Reid combined for a pitching gem. Matt Anderson drove in 2 with a big hit to left.

Monday

July 12

Byron I

completed

Pirates

Won 9-5. After two quick outs in the bottom of the 4th inning, the bottom half of the Rockies lineup erupted for 4 runs to pave the way to victory evening the Rockies record at 5-5 after a disastrous 2-5 start. With two out and none on Aaron Robbins and Robin Steiner walked and Aaron stole 2 bases and Robin 1. Gabe Weinstein drove in two with a hard single up the middle. Then Nick Wright and Conor Pang both followed with hard hits for big bases. Mike Mitro started on the mound and allowed a Homer and Triple to #3 Pirates batter Holmes, but otherwise pitched well. Sam Keane threw 2 innings of solid relief and Gabe Weinstein came in a shut the door with a shutout sixth inning. It was the first ever come from behind victory for the Rockies who trailed 2-0, went ahead 3-2, and fell behind 4-3, before coming back for the victory. Matt Anderson and Talonzo Reid also had big hits. Gabe Weinstein was 2-2. Kerry Howard made a fine play at 3rd shooting in front of the shortstop to make a quick play. Ebo Ayewoh made a nice catch of a high pop at first.

Wednesday

July 14

Byron I

complete

Rangers*

Won 8-2. A twenty minute rain delay at the start of the game (including a wait for the Rangers to arrive in full force) couldn't stop the Rockies juggernaut from winning their fourth game in a row. The game began as tough pitching duel with the score tied 1-1 heading into the top of the fourth. The Rockies broke lose sending all 13 of their batters to the plate in a six running inning. Big hits by Nick Wright and Matt Anderson led the highlights. Robin Steiner got the win, and scored the go ahead run after reaching first on a catchers interference. Kerry Howard pitched two innings and Sam Keane pitched another in relief. Gabe Weinstein, playing in his last game, ended the game with a fine throw from shortstop--the first time he played that position all year. Stephen Brakey returned to action after missing 3 games due to illness. Conor Pang played solid ball once again in his last appearance with the team. Mike Mitro, Aaron Robbins, Talonzo Reid and Ebu Ayewoh played their usual steady games. John Molnar continued to show improved readiness and range in the field and was prepared to be the next man in relief.

Saturday

July 17

Byron I

completed

Indians

Won 11-10. Michael Mitro was the winning pitcher (3 innings, 2 runs allowed) shutting the door against
the vaunted Indians lineup. Talonzo Reid had a bases loaded triple in
the second. Key defensive plays by Sam Keane at shortstop, one throwing
out a batter on a hard smash in the hole and another gunning down a
runner at the plate on a decisive throw from left center after taking a relay from Talonzo Reid with Matt Anderson applying the tag. Aaron Robbins got a leadoff hit in the second and stole a key base that shook up the Indians pitcher. Nick Wright had his first walk of the season to extend a rally. Robin Steiner started a 3 run rally with a walk from the 10th position in the order. John Molnar smacked the ball harder than ever, unfortunately the pitcher snared the line drive. Ebo Ayewoh reached base all three at bats. Kerry Howard did even better with 2 hits and 2 walks and scored the winning run. Talonzo had two triples. Michael Mitro won his own game by drawing THE game winning walk.
The lead changed hands too many times to count.

Indians 1 4 3 0 1 1 10
Rockies 3 3 0 3 1 1 11

Monday

July 19

Byron I

completed

Cubs*

Lost 9-5. With a key player MIA, the Rockies were forced to play with 8 players. They fell behind quickly in the bottom of the first but had evened the score heading into the bottom of the 5th when they self destructed on defense. The Rockies got their come uppance after joking that the Cubs starting pitcher was too slow. All he did was mow down the top half of the order with good control. This was not a game the Rockies, or their fans (who argued with the umpire), should be proud of. Let's hope the sportsmanship improves soon, before it is too late.

Tuesday

July 20

Byron I

completed

Angels*

Won 12-5 behind the fine pitching of Michael Mitro and Kerry Howard. Iron-man Matt Anderson spent 6 full innings behind the plate and continued to use his speed wisely on the bases. Nick Wright had a bases loaded 3 run double in the first. Kerry Howard was robbed on two line shots but hit a big triple in the 5th. Mike Mitro reached base 3 times on 2 hit by the pitch and a walk. Ebo Ayewoh had hard hits in the first and third innings. Aaron Robbins had a big catch in left. Sam Keane played another great game at short and John Molnar drew 2 big walks and was robbed yet again on a hit to shortstop.

Playoff Game 1Saturday

July 24

Mercer II

completed

Rangers

Won 6-5. Sam Keane's two-strike single in the bottom of the sixth drove in Kerry Howard and Talonzo Reid for the come from behind victory. The Rockies jumped out to an early 4-0 lead behind the pitching and hitting of Robin Steiner who had a big double in the third. Keane was 3 for 3 on the day and Kerry Howard was 2 for 2 with a walk. Talonzo Reid had a big RBI double in the first and was hit by the pitch and scored the winning run in the sixth, even though the umpire thought he missed third base. Talonzo went back and tagged third and home a second time, but the umpire later said he didn't even see that. Fortunately, the Rangers did not challenge the play. Ebo Ayewoh had his biggest smash of the year, but the Ranger's centerfielder made a fine catch. Stephen Brakey drew a big walk in the third, moved to third on Steiner's double and scored on a hit by Keane who had a remarkable 5 RBI's for the day. Matt Anderson had a big day behind the plate gunning down an important runner at third with a throw that went straight to Kerry Howard's glove that was held right in front of the bag where the runner was sliding. Anderson also put the tying run in scoring position in the sixth with a picture perfect sacrifice bunt. Conor Pang returned from Toronto and hit the ball hard in the fourth. Aaron Robbins and Nick Wright alternated at first for most of the game and gave the team the strong defense that it has become known for. Michael Mitro played left and third with his usual flare. Sam Keane was the winning pitcher, although Robin actually pitched a little better. Sam's arm seemed tired, perhaps because he spent the day before at Cedar Point, but he got by on his guts and guile. The Rangers tied the score in the fifth and went ahead in the top of the sixth before Keane's game winning hit.

Playoff Game 2Sunday

July 25

Mercer I

completed

Pirates

Won 5-2. The Rockies fell behind 1-0 in the first and 2 zip at the end of two despite the fine pitching of Michael Mitro. Stephen Brakey got things going with a lead-off walk in the first. Kerry Howard hit a double that put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Then Stephen scored on a throw that went out of play and Kerry followed by beating the Pirates to the plate on a passed ball. Mitro held the Pirates in check in the 3rd and 4th innings giving way to Kerry Howard who pitched shutout ball in the 5th and 6th to get the win after the Rockies blew the game open with 3 runs in the top of the 6th. Kerry started it off with a double and stole third. But when Matt Anderson walked on a wild pitch, Kerry was caught out trying to score. Talonzo Reid followed with a big double and Sam Keane walked to load the bases. Ebo Ayewoh's hit was too hot to handle and a run scored. Michael Mitro and Nick Wright both walked knocking in additional runs. The bottom of the sixth featured a fine catch by Talonzo on a long fly ball of the bat of the Pirates' best slugger.

Playoff Game 3Wednesday

July 28

Mercer I

completed

Indians

Won 7-6. The Rockies jumped off to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Kerry Howard reached first on a hit by the pitch followed by a single by Matt Anderson, with each runner advancing on a stolen base. Same Keane knocked in Kerry on a ground out and Ebo Ayewoh knocked in Matt with another ground out. The Indians scored 1 in the bottom of the first and tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third. The Rockies jumped back out in front by scoring 2 more in the top of the fourth. Matt Anderson led off with a single and stole two bases. Ebo Ayewoh was hit by the pitch and stole second. Then Michael Mitro had a single that knocked them in. The Indians narrowed the score to 4-3 in the bottom of the 4th but the Rockies scored 3 in the top of the fifth. Aaron Robbins led off with a walk and stole second. Stephen Brakey got his first hit of the year, but Aaron was thrown out trying to score. Robin Steiner drew a walk and Talonzo Reid, batting 11th after arriving late, knocked in two with a big double. Kerry was hit by the pitch yet again and Matt Anderson, who was 3 for 3, knocked in Talonzo with a single to left. Sam Keane took the mound in the fifth and shutdown the Indians 1-2-3 on a strikeout, a fine play by Kerry Howard at short on a ground ball and a diving catch of a line drive down the third base line by Robin Steiner in a play the coach had only seen before in his dreams. In the sixth, things did not go so smoothly for the Rockies as the Indians scored 3 runs, but Sam struck out the Indians #5 batter and two fine fielding plays on ground balls cemented the victory for the Rockies. Robin Steiner who pitched the first four innings was the winning pitcher, striking out six. Stephan Brakey made a nice stab of a hard one bouncer in right field to hold a big Indians batter to a single. First basemen Aaron Robbins recorded three putouts in the third, including one hard shot that he handled alone. Conor Pang hit two balls hard but was robbed both times by a steady fielding Indians second baseman. Nick Wright played well at first and in left and hit a big sacrifice fly to center that had the potential of scoring Michael Mitro from second base. Mitro also made a big catch in left field.

Playoff Game 4Sunday

August 1

Mercer I

completed

Indians

Won 8-7. Trailing 7-0 the Rockies come back to win the championship, bringing an end to a wonderful season. It looked like the Indians were going to lay a whomping on the Rockies yet again when they scored two in the first, four in the third and another in the fifth to jump out to a 7-0 lead. It wasn't just the Indians offense that had the Rockies reeling. Although Kerry Howard led off the bottom of the first by being hit by the pitch, the first 10 Rockies that went to the plate accounted for ten outs. After Kerry reached first, he stole second and third, but was gunned down at the plate on a 1-3-2 double play. The Indians' starting pitcher (Robert) was masterful, getting the Rockies 1-2-3 in the second AND the third inning and getting the first batter out in the fourth. Then Kerry Howard started a five-run rally with a single (and two more stolen bases) that would bring the Rockies back into the game. Matt Anderson followed with a walk, Talonzo Reid doubled and stoled third, Sam Keane singled and stole two bases. Ebo Ayewoh knocked in another run with a single and stole a base. Michael Mitro walked and Noah Whitehead (returning from camp at just the right time to give Matt a little relief behind the plate) doubled to drive in the fifth run of the inning before an Indians' reliever could strike out the final two Rockies of the inning. Talonzo Reid shut out the Indians in the fifth with the help of Kerry Howard's running and leaping catch of a two-out drive that was headed for the gap with a runner in scoring position off the bat of the Indian's lead off batter. In the bottom of the fifth, Kerry started the go ahead rally with a one-out single and promptly stole yet another base. Matt Anderson singled and Talonzo Reid was intentionally walked. That left things up to RBI king Sam Keane who once again came through in the clutch with a big hit that drove in two. Ebo Ayewoh hit the ball hard yet again knocking in Talonzo. Talonzo retired the Indians' second, third and fourth batters 1-2-3 in the sixth to get the win allowing only 1 run in his three innings pitched. Micheal Mitro started for the Rockies and although he had some shaky moments, he never gave in and kept the Rockies in the game. Conor Pang had a hard line drive speared by the Indians' shortstop to rob him of a hit. Robin Steiner made a good grab at third and tagged an elusive runner for a big out. Stephen Brakey played his usual tight defense in right field. Following the award ceremonies, the celebrations began in earnest at Ben & Jerry's (the guys are champion ice cream eaters too) and continued throughout the evening. The Rockies, their families and their friends came together and displayed tremendous spirit throughout the season. The team started at 2-5 but never game up. Including the playoffs, the team finished with a 12-6 record, winning 10 of their last 11 games. The coach never had a better summer and will cherish the ball the team signed for him forever. He offers a big thanks for the gift certificates and will certainly enjoy an evening away from the diamond eating sushi and heading to the cinema. GO ROCKIES.

* indicates opponent is home team.

Notes

PARENTS: the team currently lacks assistant coaches. Please let me know if you are willing to assist. Offering to assist requires no commitment to be there every game or practice. I am more than happy to accept assistance whenever you are available. You can assist the Rockies to become the fun-loving champions we know they can be. THANKS.

Tips on Hitting: from The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams. Ted Williams is considered by many to be the greatest hitter of all time. He played for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960. He is the last major leaguer to hit over .400 in a season. When Joe DiMaggio had his 56 game hitting streak in 1941, Ted Williams beat him in batting average by 49 pts (Williams .406, DiMaggio .357). Williams led the American League in batting six times, including in 1957 when he hit .388 when he was 39 years old. He won the batting title again in 1958 when he was 40. Williams hit a home run in his last at bat in 1960 at the age of 42, finishing that year with 29 homers and a .316 average. His career totals are 521 home runs (which was second only to Babe Ruth when he retired), 2,018 walks (again second to Ruth when he retired), 1,839 rbi's, a lifetime average of .344 and a slugging percentage of .634. Williams missed five of the prime years of his career due to war. He was a fighter pilot in both World War II and the Korean War. Had it not been for those wars, he may have been the first to break Ruth's career home run record. His advise on hitting is well worth considering.

Winning the Rockies' Way

Winning baseball relies on:

Having fun. No sense playing the game if you don't enjoy it. But be serious about playing hard and doing your job right. There are likely to be times during the season though when things may not appear bright. We might get a bad call, make a bad play, or just plain old be outplayed by the opposing team. Don't worry about it. We will get them the next time. If you notice something that your teammates or coach has overlooked, point it out. Use humor positively. If your teammates or the coach appears down, a good natured joke or quip might break the ice and help turn things around.

Playing as a team. More than any other sport, baseball depends on having a good team attitude. When a team believes it can win, it frequently does. When a player has the confidence of his teammates, good things happen. Rally-caps, cheering for your teammates, reminding each other of the situation and what play should be made next--can all make a difference between winning and losing.

Knowing the situation. How many outs are there, where are there runners, what inning is it and what's the score. Knowing these facts will help you determine which play to make--whether you should try for a difficult play or play it safe.

Thinking ahead. Baseball is THE thinking man's game. The players that think ahead, get ahead and stay ahead. In this way, success in baseball is likely to carry over into success in life.

Knowing your role. In every situation, each player has a role or responsibility. Know that role and you will always be in position to make a good play--and give your teammates the opportunity to take chances on making difficult plays.

Using your individual skills to the best of your ability. Follow the tips below and three things will happen. Your natural skills will be enhanced, we will have a very successful season, and you will be even more prepared to play in the next level up.

Everyone has a role:

Catchers

Success begins with the catcher. Catcher's are the captains on the field.

The catcher's primary job is to make sure that the pitcher remains focused on getting the ball over the plate. Set up quickly and give the pitcher a good target, usually low and on the outside half of the plate. When a pitcher is going good, don't do anything that will get him out of his rhythm. When a pitcher is distracted, (by a bad pitch, a bad play, an annoying base runner), get him refocused on getting the ball over and the batter out. As a catcher, keeping the pitcher focused is the biggest contribution you can make.

The catcher should also:

Ensure all players are ready

Give the pitcher an early, big target on the low outside half of the plate

Keep the pitcher working at a quick pace. It keeps batters off balance and it keeps your fielders alert. But don't let the pitcher work too quickly if it starts to affect his control. If that begins to happen, slow the pace down a little (the subtle way to slow the pace is to set up a little less quickly, the unsubtle way is to just tell the pitcher to slow down).

Keep the ball in front of you. If you can't catch a pitch or throw, blocking it so it stays in front of you may be just as good.

Throwing

Don't be afraid to throw. If you have a good chance to get a runner, go for it.

Conversely, never throw unless you have a good chance of getting the runner out.

Be accurate, keep throws low. A high throw will often result in an overthrow giving the runners extra bases. High throws also make it difficult for the fielder to apply a tag.

Be subtle, don't fake throws, just throw, catch them unaware. Fake throws waste time, get your pitcher out of his rhythm, and let the other team know you are worried about the base runner. Don't let a base runner psyche you out. Look at the runner, if he is not going, just get the ball back to the pitcher as quickly as possible.

Make sure you know whether the second baseman or the shortstop is going to cover second. Make sure they know too.

If there is a runner on second or third, make sure the left fielder knows it is his responsibility to back up the third baseman by covering the foul line after every pitch in case you need to make a throw.

Have fun! When you're the catcher--you're THE Man.

Outfielders

Be ready, you are the last line of our defense. Move with each pitch. Outfielders should never be standing still. You can't get a good jump on the ball if you are standing flat-footed. Backing up throws, and potential throws, is a primary duty.

Adjust your positioning to where the player is likely to, or last, hit the ball--deep for power hitters, shallower for batters with less power, to the left or right depending on where the batter last hit the ball and how hard the pitcher is throwing.

Back up all bases--this is where an outfielder can make an extraordinary, if often overlooked, contribution to a team's success by permitting the catcher to be aggressive in trying to throw out base runners and by limiting the number of bases runners can advance on overthrows and errors. With a runner on second or third, the left fielder MUST move to the left field line after each pitch. This gives the catcher the opportunity to be aggressive with throws to third. If the left fielder fails to back up the third basemen, any overthrows will result in extra bases for the other team and thus will deprive the catcher of the opportunity to be aggressive.

Hit the cutoff man. Games can be won by getting the ball back to the infield quickly and accurately. Games are often lost due to bad throws. On long hits, the quickest and most accurate way is to get the ball to the cutoff man.

Keep throws low--especially when trying to throw base runners out. Outfielders often make the mistake of thinking they have to get the ball to a base on a fly, and therefore throw the ball way too high. High throws take longer to get to the base and often result in overthrows which permit the other team to get even more bases. High throws also make it difficult for the player catching the throw to make a tag. Low throws get there faster--even when they bounce. Low throws also make it easier for the other player to make a tag. They also make it easier for infielders to cut off a throw and throw to a different base, where the play might be easier to make.

Let your teammates know that you are aware of the situation and that you are prepared to back them up.

Positive outfield chatter is good!

Have fun! When an outfielder makes a great play the crowd always ROARS.

Infielders

Know the situation, what will you do if the ball is hit to you, what is your job if the ball is hit to someone else

Move with each pitch--you have a job each time the ball is in play. With runners on base, the second baseman and the shortstop need to know who will be covering second. Make sure the catcher knows who is going to cover. The second baseman and shortstop should back up the pitcher after each pitch--this could stop a few rallies and save a few runs each year by holding runners whenever there is an overthrow from the catcher back to the pitcher.

On balls hit to the outfield, the second baseman and the shortstop serve as cut off men. Position yourself directly in line with the outfielder getting the ball and the base that the play will be made at (this will change with the situation, but it is usually second base). The further the ball is hit to the outfield, the further out you need to go. Remember, your purpose as a cut off man is to get the ball back to the infield as quickly and as accurately as possible. Don't hold the ball longer than necessary, but if you must hold it, RUN it back in.

Do everything you can to stop batted balls and throws from the catcher from getting by you. If you can knock the ball down and keep it in the infield you can stop the other team from getting extra bases and you can save runs. Keep your glove low. It is easier to get your glove up on a bouncing ball or line drive than it is to get it down quickly on a hard shot close to the ground.

Help keep the outfielders awake. Sometimes it gets lonely out there. Make sure they know the situation and that they are properly backing up all fielders and bases.

Positive infield chatter is good!

Have fun! The infield is where the action is.

First basemen

The first baseman has a few additional responsibilities:

The first baseman is likely to get more throws than anyone. If you can't catch a ball, do everything you can to block it or knock it down because there may be nobody behind you to stop the opposing team from getting extra bases (especially on shots down the line and throws to first base).

On most plays, your job is to get to first base immediately and cover the bag. On long hits where the batter goes to second, you job changes as soon as it is apparent that he will not be coming back to first. Then you need to back up throws. If there will be a play at the plate, and the pitcher is not behind the catcher, then your job is to get to the screen behind the catcher and guard against an overthrow.

Have fun! The first baseman is the stalwart of any team.

Pitchers

Good pitchers avoid walking batters. They concentrate on getting the ball over the plate, preferably low and on the outside half of the plate. Even if a batter hits it, you have a good chance of getting him out. (Ty Cobb had the highest lifetime batting average ever, .363. That means he was out about 64% of the time. Since he rarely struck out, that also means that even when he hit the ball he was out much more often than he was safe.) When you walk a batter, they get a base no matter what. Throw strikes.

Good control tops good speed or trick pitches every time.

Once you are getting the ball where you want it, increase your speed. If your control begins to falter, reduce your speed until you regain control. Remember, even slow pitches can be effective if placed in the right spot (usually low and away).

Damage will always be minimized if you keep your pitches low. If it is low, the result will probably be a ground ball that your infield will have a shot at. Pitching high in the strike zone often results in hard line drives and long home runs.

Don't try trick pitches on weak hitters. Get weak hitters out by throwing strikes. The only way a weak hitter is likely to beat you is if you give them something less than your best pitch.

Find your rhythm and stick to it. Don't be flustered by base runners or comments by fans or the other team. Concentrate on control and getting the batter out. A good quick rhythm is best. It keeps the batters off balance and it keeps your fielders alert.

Don't worry about bad calls by the umpire, bad fielding behind you or bad pitches that you've made. The only thing that matters is concentrating on making a good next pitch. Take a deep breath and relax.

When there is likely to be a play at third or home on a long hit to the outfield, the pitcher must backup the third basemen or the catcher (get all the way back to the screen) in case of an overthrow. You can stop or limit big innings by being in the right place at the right time.

Have fun! Pitchers are in the limelight. When you've got the ball in your hand, you control the game. It doesn't get much better than to strikeout a good hitter or shut down a strong team with solid pitching.

Batting

Relax.

Adopt a batting stance that you feel comfortable with. Your stance should give you good balance and allow you to see the pitcher and the ball well.

Get a good pitch to hit. A walk is indeed as good as a hit. Lay off the high ones. Work the count. Know when it is in your favor. When you are ahead in the count, wait for a pitch in the spot you like. When there are two strikes, swing at any pitch that is close. It is better to go down swinging than to be called out on strikes. When you swing, you are in control. When you take a close pitch, the umpire is in control.

Be aggressive. There is no more fun in baseball than getting a good hit. You can't hit if you don't swing. Don't swing at bad pitches, but when you get a good pitch, attack it.

Be quick with the bat. Once you decide to swing, swing quick and hard. No sense in holding back.

If you find yourself in a slump, or if the pitcher is overpowering, don't be afraid to bunt. Bunts put the ball in play, and that can make good things happen. It can also shake up the pitcher and the opposing team. If you are going to bunt, look for a low pitch, they are the easiest to get on the ground. Don't try to bunt high pitches, the result is likely to be a miss or an easy pop up.

Watch the opposing pitcher when you are on the bench or on deck. Gauge his speed. Notice whether he pitches high or low or all over the place.

Have fun! Usually hitters are out more often than they get a hit. So don't worry when they get you out. Instead, enjoy absolutely every ounce of success--a good bunt, a sacrifice fly, advancing runners, walks, hits. Nothing is better than smacking that pea.

Base Running

Good base running can win a lot of games; bad base running loses just as many. Pay attention to the base coaches.

If you see an opportunity to take an extra base or steal a base, do so. If you are in doubt, hold up and play it safe. Use your best judgment. Keep in mind that good base stealers are successful at least 75% of the time.

Have Fun! Nothing shakes up an opposing pitcher more than a pesky base runner who shows good judgment.

Leadership

Everyone is a leader and everyone is responsible for how much fun we have and whether we win or lose!

Show good sportsmanship at all times. Nothing will get you more respect in life than showing respect to others, especially when things are not going your way. When you win, be gracious. If perchance you should come out on the lower half of the score, show respect to the victors--and prepare even harder for the next time you meet.

Make sure you always know the situation (the count, number of outs, runners on base, the score and inning)

If someone isn't ready, call time.

Remember where the batter last hit the ball, it is the best clue for positioning infielders and outfielders.

Make sure the players around you know what YOU are going to do. Let everyone know that you know your role. Yell out--'I'm covering second', 'Play's at two', 'He hit it to left last time up', 'I'm backing up the throw at third'.

If another player isn't positioned right or hasn't been doing their job (covering a base, backing up throws), remind them to do it. Games are frequently lost on a single play because somebody forgot their role.

Make sure everyone knows the number of outs and where the next play should be made.

Leadership is keeping your head in the game at all times. Be alert and keep your teammates on their toes.

Lead the way in having fun and winning games. The team can't do it without you!